8th Pay Commission May Revisit Old Pay Formula As Employee Groups Push New Calorie Norms

The 8th Pay Commission, chaired by former Supreme Court Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, is reviewing pay structures and allowances for central government employees. Amid this exercise, here are calorie and food-expenses-related demands from employee groups, explained.

The ICMR and NIN, NC-JCM and All India NPS Employees Federation have all proposed calorie and food-cost calculations in nutrition suggestions and memorandums submitted to the 8th Pay Commission.

8th Pay Commission: Chaired by former Supreme Court Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, with Professor Pulak Ghosh, a tenured Professor of Finance and member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, serving as a member, and former IAS officer Pankaj Jain as Member-Secretary, the 8th Pay Commission has received a range of demands from employee and pensioner representatives.

The commission has begun consultations with labour groups, ministries, pension bodies, central government organisations and institutions, employee unions and associations, and other stakeholders. Based on these meetings and data collected, it will make recommendations on pay structures, allowances, pensions, and related benefits for central government employees and pensioners.

What is the 3,490-calorie factor in pay revision?

The so-called 3,490-calorie formula proposed by the ICMR links pay revision to the cost of essential food items such as cereals, milk, vegetables and other necessities, in order to meet a prescribed total intake of 3,490 calories for individuals.

Earlier salary calculations were based on nutritional assumptions of around 2,700 calories. But the NC-JCM, in its memorandum, has noted that the previous formula suggested by late Dr Wallace Aykroyd and adopted by earlier pay commissions is now "outdated" and must be adapted in line with the ICMR and NIN's latest dietary guidelines.

What are the ICMR-NIN's latest dietary guidelines?

As per the latest dietary guidelines issued by ICMR and NIN, an individual's daily calorie requirements should be based on their physical activity. This recognises that energy needs vary between lifestyles — sedentary, moderately active and heavily active.

Thus, the prescribed intake for adults between 19–39 years of age is as follows:

Food cost calculations a key benchmark

Apart from the ICMR and NIN, and the NC-JCM's suggestions, the All India NPS Employees Federation (AINPSEF) also used calorie and food-cost calculations in its memorandum submitted to the 8th Pay Commission.

"The current minimum pay does not adequately compensate employees in view of inflation and rising cost of living", it has proposed ₹6,000 allowance per consumption unit = ₹30,000 for a family of 5 units.

8th CPC discussions: What is the expected timeline?

Notably, the commission has invited suggestions and memoranda from eligible representatives and stakeholders till 15 June. It opened formal memorandum submissions on 5 March 2026, extended the earlier deadlines from 30 April to 31 May, and now to mid-June. As per the plan, the CPC is expected to submit its final recommendations around 18 months after its constitution by mid-2027.

Based on past trends, once the pay commission's recommendations are made, the rollout takes another two to three years to complete. This means that hikes announced in 2027 may only be fully implemented by 2029 or 2030.